Albert Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 (Complete) / Le

Albert Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 (Complete) / Le festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet), Op. 17 (Complete) - Yan Pascal Tortelier / BBC Philharmonic

These two ballet masterpieces belong with the works of Ravel and Stravinsky at the pinnacle of French dance music from the interwar period. They are very different sounding. The Spider's Feast, as befits an "insect" piece, is a delicate impressionist tone poem painted in musical watercolors. Bacchus, by contrast, is a symphonically constructed epic told in pungent melodies and clear-cut, stamping rhythms. The second half of the ballet, also known as Suite No. 2, has long been popular at orchestral concerts, and builds up to a smashing ending. Yan Pascal Tortelier's performances of both works are the best available, both as interpretations and sound. --David Hurwitz

Albert Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 (Complete) / Le festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet), Op. 17 (Complete) - Yan Pascal Tortelier / BBC Philharmonic